It's always very tricky when people who aren't educators start banging on about what should or shouldn't be taught in schools. My own school days are but a hazy memory of hormones, angst, and boring homework. Yet here I am, pontificating. With the current "fad" of encouraging children to learn to code, I thought I would be worth looking at the difference between coding and computer science. History I learned the infamous Logo Turtle at school and BBC BASIC at home. That is learning to…
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I've written before about CDI's AppsForGood initiative. They work with schools and help students develop apps. Currently, they are working with 100 schools across the UK to deliver courses to more than 5,000 students. If you work in the mobile industry, you should volunteer to be one of their experts. Spend just 30 minutes having a Skype chat with a group of excited teenagers, share your expertise, hear their ideas, be infected with their enthusiasm. This isn't just a "feel good" exercise, …
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It occurred to me that I've been very lucky in my computing career. I had parents who encouraged my love of technology, who were able to teach me BASIC, and buy my brother and I our first computer when we were still quite young. That old BBC Micro served me well and helped springboard me to where I am today. I think it's time for all of us in the technology industry to encourage young people to explore the fascinating world of computers. Our lives are dominated by computers - and knowing how…
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